By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s state-owned Empresa Brasileira de Participações em Energia Nuclear e Binacional (ENBPar) said it expects the country to achieve self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel starting in 2027, once the Santa Quitéria uranium mine in Ceará comes online. The projection was disclosed by corporate management director Leandro Xingó at the World Atomic Week hosted by Rosatom in Russia.
The Santa Quitéria venture, a partnership between Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB) and fertilizer producer Galvani, is designed to deliver around 2,300 metric tons of uranium concentrate annually. That’s a sharp increase compared with current output of 400 tons from the Caetité mine in Bahia, according to Valor Econômico.
Brazil holds the world’s seventh-largest uranium reserves, estimated at more than 230,000 tons, though much of it remains untapped. The last nationwide geological survey dates back more than 40 years.
The expansion strategy also includes the second phase of the commercial uranium enrichment plant in Resende, Rio de Janeiro state. Once completed, it will be able to fully supply nuclear plants Angra 1 and Angra 2, as well as Angra 3, should the government resume its long-stalled construction.
“It is very important [to finish Angra 3] because we pay more than 100 million reais every month just to maintain the equipment at the plant. And the whole world is now looking at uranium energy, which is clean energy. We have all the potential,” Xingó said.
Beyond meeting domestic needs, ENBPar’s strategy also targets innovation and international competitiveness. Xingó highlighted the importance of small modular reactors (SMRs) as a next step. “Brazil also needs to look toward the future of innovation. Emerging technologies such as SMRs will demand more flexible, decentralized and environmentally responsible supply chains. The country has the conditions to be at the forefront of this movement,” he said.
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